How To Pick The Perfect Children’s Lunch Box

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Lunch Box Basics

Of all the back-to-school tasks on the agenda, buying the perfect children’s lunch boxcan be a nightmare. From the time your child leaves for school until midday, his or her lunch is likely to be left unattended and unrefrigerated. So how do you make sure school packed lunches are kept fresh, intact and contained? We’ve got a few tips to follow when buying the perfectchildren’s lunch box.

Insulation – gone are the days of popping a sandwich and treat into a brown paper bag and sending them off to school. The modern children’s lunch box is now PVC, BPA & Phthalate free, with state of the art insulation (many with triple layer insulation) and an inner mesh pouch to hold an ice pack. All features to guarantee a delectable sandwich at lunch time.

Material – children can be quite rough and boisterous on the lunch boxes they use, especially when targeted as goal posts in the playground or kicked about! So it is essential to pick a lunch box that can withstand a certain amount of misuse. Moreover children’s lunch boxmust be easy to maintain and clean, like polyester or canvas.

Size – contrary to popular belief, bigger isn’t always better when choosing a school lunch box. It’s always encouraging when your little one has an appetite but packing extra snacks can incite cravings. A standard size lunch box will discourage the need for wasteful packaging and limit portions to healthy sizes in order to cut down on food waste. Moreover, children’s lunch boxshould be lightweight when empty, as it will be coming along on most school trips and needs to be the right size to stuff in the ‘mummy bag’ if necessary.

Design – make sure to pick out a fun and colourful children’s lunch box that allow to show off their interests. After all, a lunch box is a fashion statement and girls in particular will want to show it off and stand out from the crowds. It certainly needs to be durable but at the same time it should be a lunch box they will love and be proud to carry around with them. Themed designs make them easy to spot and difficult to lose, a quality that will please you as the parent and excite any little boy or girl. Also make sure the lunch bag is easy to open and side pockets are accessible to little hands. Adult supervision is always preferred, but sometimes an easy velcro or zipper opening makes snack time a far quicker process.

Padded handle – the lunch box needs to have a cushioned handle to ensure comfort and ease when carrying and also at least one hanging hoop, so it can be easily hung up in a cloakroom and at pre-school.

Once you’ve hand-picked the perfect children’s lunch box, remember to keep your child involved. Children of all ages can help with shopping and putting together lunches and if they feel they have had a part in preparing their lunch, they will be more likely to eat it, even if it is just helping pack the sandwiches and fruit into the lunch box.